CGLI 2365 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Level 2 Unit 201 – Health and safety in building services engineering
Unit 03 - Hazardous Situations - Safety Signs and Notices
Hazardous Situations – Safety Signs and Notices Learning outcome The learner will: 2. Know how to handle hazardous situations
Assessment Criteria The learner can: 2.3 2.4
Identify the categories of safety signs Identify symbols for hazardous substances
Range Categories: mandatory, prohibition, information, warning Symbols: Toxic, Harmful, Corrosive, Irritant, Oxidising, Extremely flammable
Hazardous Situations – Safety Signs and Notices ‘The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996’ states that all new Health and Safety Signs must contain pictorial symbols in addition to text. Other requirements contained in these regulations include:
if a hazard cannot be adequately controlled by any other means then it must be marked with a safety sign
every employer must ensure that their employees are trained in the meaning of safety signs
any emergency escape route and fire fighting equipment must have their location identified with safety signs
Most workplaces have safety signs and posters to alert you of any dangers. These are grouped into four categories:
warning signs
information signs
mandatory signs
prohibition signs
and in addition there are location signs for fire fighting equipment.
Colchester Institute
Unit 03 Page 1
September 2012
CGLI 2365 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Level 2 Unit 201 – Health and safety in building services engineering
Unit 03 - Hazardous Situations - Safety Signs and Notices
Warning signs Warning signs are triangular and yellow with a black border. They mean CAUTION, RISK OF DANGER or HAZARD AHEAD.
Danger Electricity
Drop
General
Fire Exit
First Aid
Fire Assembly Point
Ear Protection must be worn
Eye Protection must be worn
Information signs Safe condition signs are rectangular and white on a green background and indicate the correct place to go or the correct action to be taken in an emergency. They give information about safe conditions. You are likely to find extra information included with any of the safety signs, such as the type of first aid available, the particular type of eye protection required, the clearance height of an obstacle etc.
Mandatory signs Mandatory signs are white on a blue background, circular and mean YOU MUST Safety DO. helmet must be worn
Prohibition signs Prohibition signs are circular in shape and have a crossbar through the centre and mean STOP or DO NOT. They are red on No Smoking a white background and must be obeyed.
Do Not Extinguish With Water
No unauthorised Persons
Fire Fighting Equipment signs The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations require the location of all fire fighting equipment to be marked in red. Typical signs are shown right.
Colchester Institute
Unit 03 Page 2
September 2012
CGLI 2365 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Level 2 Unit 201 – Health and safety in building services engineering
Unit 03 - Hazardous Situations - Safety Signs and Notices
Hazardous Substances You may encounter hazardous substances during your day to day work in the Building Services Industry and they will be identified by appropriate signs that are square and orange with a black border and symbol/writing. The main ones to remember are as follows:
Toxic: Chemicals that at low levels cause damage to health.
Harmful: Chemicals that may cause damage to health.
Corrosive: Chemicals that may destroy living tissue on contact.
Irritant: Chemicals that may cause inflammation to the skin or other mucous membranes.
Oxidising: Chemicals that react exothermically with other chemicals.
Colchester Institute
Unit 03 Page 3
September 2012
CGLI 2365 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Level 2 Unit 201 – Health and safety in building services engineering
Unit 03 - Hazardous Situations - Safety Signs and Notices
Highly flammable: Chemicals that may catch fire in contact with air, only need brief contact with an ignition source, have a very low flash point or evolve highly flammable gases in contact with water.
Extremely flammable: Chemicals that have an extremely low flash point and boiling point, and gases that catch fire in contact with air.
Colchester Institute
Unit 03 Page 4
September 2012